


A Little Bit of Light In The Darkness

by mysticanni



Series: Rubber Ducks [6]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Christmas, Fairy-Lights, M/M, Rubber Ducks, Snow, cocktails
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:21:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28193883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysticanni/pseuds/mysticanni
Summary: A Christmas visit to a light display.
Relationships: John Deacon/Roger Taylor, Peter "Phoebe" Freestone/Chris "Crystal" Taylor
Series: Rubber Ducks [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1593166
Comments: 10
Kudos: 17





	A Little Bit of Light In The Darkness

**Author's Note:**

> For the last few years I’ve visited the light displays at either the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh or the Enchanted Forest near Pitlochry in Scotland. Sadly, I couldn’t do either of those things this year so I’ve imagined this instead. I hope you like it.

Roger had been concerned that Cat might be displeased when John took over her side of Roger’s bed. He had been slightly surprised (but delighted) when she had taken to curling up at the foot of the bed – a dark furry void - instead of next to him under the covers when John was next to him under the covers. He had also been relieved that she seemed to have an almost uncanny ability to tell when it would be awkward to have her in the bedroom.

Brian had once jokingly remarked that if Roger had to choose between Cat and John he would choose John. Roger had silently hoped that would never happen. It would be an impossible choice for him. They were both his family. Roger had been thrilled when John had saved him from having to reply to Brian by light-heartedly answering that Cat ran their household and they both attended to her every whim. Roger had known then he would never have to choose between them.

That John had referred to ‘their household’ gave Roger a little warm glow too. This time next year John would have moved in properly and they would no longer be long distance lovers.

John stirred next to him and Roger kissed him. “Good morning!”

“Morning,” John grunted. “What time is it?”

Roger twisted and reached for his phone on the bedside table blinking as the screen lit up seeming very bright in the dark room. “It’s cold,” he grumbled, snuggling back down next to John. “It’s just before six,” he informed John, “so the heating won’t have come on just yet.” 

He gave a little yelp as John wrapped both arms around him, pulling him close. “I can think of some ways to warm you up,” John murmured. 

*

Cat quietly padded out of the bedroom, knowing from experience that Roger and John often had a very energetic start to the day. On the whole she was pleased that Roger was happy – that John made Roger happy – but this morning she would have preferred to remain in her cosy spot on the bed – Roger had been correct – it was chilly.

She hopped onto the windowsill of the sitting room and looked out of the window. Frost glittered on the ground. The street was quiet. She could now hear the rhythmic squeaking of Roger’s bed-springs coupled with Roger giggling and John saying something – his voice a low murmur.

*

Crystal shivered as he stepped out of the warm house. He shoved his hands in his pockets wondering where his gloves had gone. He stepped aside as Phoebe stepped out after him. Phoebe handed him his gloves then turned to lock the door. “Where’d you find these?” Crystal asked. 

“They were on top of the bread bin for some reason,” Phoebe informed him, “clearly the obvious place to leave gloves.”

“Thank you,” Crystal said, giving Phoebe a quick kiss. 

“I suppose if you were on your way to commit a murder and had decided to use the bread-knife you might leave your ‘avoidance of fingerprints’ gloves on top of the bread bin by accident,” Phoebe mused. 

“Obviously I’d need an accomplice like you to make sure I had the gloves with me while I committed the murder,” Crystal pointed out. “Is there anyone you would like me to kill for you?”

Phoebe laughed, “Not at the moment, no.”

“I would you know,” Crystal assured him. He was only partially joking.

Phoebe smiled at him, “I’ll let you know if I need anyone murdered.”

“I wouldn’t kill for just anyone you know,” Crystal told him.

“Nor would I,” Phoebe agreed, “but I’d make an exception if you needed anyone to...disappear.”

“The idea of you as a killer is...strangely alluring,” Crystal informed him. “I’d like to take you back to bed, please.”

Phoebe laughed. “Tough,” he said, “I have to get to work. It’s Roger’s morning off.”

*

Crystal switched on the seemingly endless strings of fairy-lights decorating every inch of the cafe. He had helped with the Christmas decorations but had allowed himself to grumble about how early they had appeared.

For the cafe Phoebe and Roger had decided on a colour palette of pink and purple and silver. The bar was also decorated – Miami and Roger had organised that and had decided on warm colours. Crystal secretly liked the ‘berry’ fairy-lights that glowed warmly in the bar but had no intention of telling anyone that. He was always slightly amazed by how early (it was only the beginning of November!) people liked to start drinking Christmas cocktails and draping themselves in tinsel or wearing Santa hats.

The cafe was doing a roaring trade in Christmas tree cookies and mini Yule logs and mince pies not to mention the speciality hot chocolates. Crystal was astonished by how early in the year people liked a mince pie. They’d barely taken down the Halloween decorations.

He had to admit it was nice to hear the cash register ringing though. And the mini Yule logs were a chocolate-y delight. 

*

“Fairy-lights should be up as soon as possible,” Roger had stated firmly in response to Crystal’s mild grumbling as they decorated the bar. “Everyone needs a little bit of light in the darkness.”

Roger had roped John into help as he was visiting for the weekend. Crystal was fairly sure this was not quite how John had expected to be spending his time but he was good-naturedly helping to untangle entwined strands of tinsel and strings of lights from the Christmas decorations box Crystal had found at the back of a cupboard in his office. 

“D’ you know why they’re called fairy-lights?” John asked. 

Roger shook his head. John told them that a physicist had been commissioned to create miniature lights for the lead fairies to wear as they danced on the opening night of Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘Iolanthe’ at the Savoy Theatre in London. “This was in 1882,” John informed them, “but the creator – he was called Joseph Swan – incorporated tiny lights into the dresses of the dancers. The little lights were powered by battery packs hidden in the folds of their costumes.” The dancers also had head-dresses which also had lights. 

“No one had ever seen anything like it before,” John said, “It caused a sensation. As the little lights were worn by the fairies in the production the term ‘fairy-light’ was coined. I think it was the following year when someone draped some little lights on a tree as a publicity stunt and it caught on.”

“I didn’t know that,” Roger told him, “How lovely! Imagine being in the audience at the theatre and seeing the dancers lit up - how magical!”

Crystal stored away the story of how fairy-lights got their name to tell Phoebe later knowing Phoebe would appreciate this. Phoebe was his light in the darkness, he thought. Then he was slightly horrified by this sentimentality. 

“Speaking of light in the darkness,” Roger said, as if reading Crystal’s mind, his voice studiedly casual, “There’s going to be a light show in Peach Woods and I was wondering if...I thought it might be nice if we all went...” He glanced at John, “Us, Phoebe and Crystal and Brian and Freddie if they’d like.”

“A light show?” Crystal queried. 

“They have, like, a trail,” Roger told him excitedly, pulling his phone out of his pocket, “You walk around the path through the woods and they have lit up trees and they have other artistic light installations...” He thrust his phone towards Crystal showing a picture of a tree bathed in red light. “I could get us tickets, if you’d like?”

“I’ll ask Phoebe,” Crystal said already knowing that Phoebe would love this and he would almost certainly be going. 

*

Crystal thought the tickets had been very expensive. “I could shine a torch at the apple tree in the back garden and achieve the same effect,” he muttered to Phoebe.

Phoebe laughed. “I think you’ll enjoy it,” he said.

The tickets included a bus journey to the site. Crystal would have preferred to take his car but this was not permitted apparently. “It means you can have mulled wine, though,” Roger had noted cheerfully. “And the buses run to and from the site all night so we can leave any time you like.”

They met for a drink in Crystal’s bar before going to get the bus. Although Roger had the night off he slipped behind the bar and concocted cocktails for them. 

“A Santa Clausmopolitan for you, Freddie,” Roger beamed, setting a very red drink in front of Freddie. “A Driven Snow for you, Phoebe,” he added, placing a glass of what looked like milk in front of Phoebe.

“Does that actually have any alcohol in it?” Crystal asked. 

“It’s rum based,” Roger informed him, “with white chocolate liqueur. The rim of the glass has been dipped in crushed candy-canes.” He set another red drink in front of Brian. “This one’s a Christmas Cosmos.”

John also received a white drink. Crystal belatedly realised that Roger had colour-themed the Christmas cocktails too and grinned. “This is a White Christmas Martini,” Roger told them.

Roger placed the only drink that was not white or red in front of Crystal. His was an orange colour. “This is a Scrooge Driver,” he informed Crystal with a wicked grin.

“Fuck you,” Crystal said sweetly.

“Have you got a White Christmas too?” John asked as Roger slid into the booth with his own white cocktail. 

“Mine’s a White Christmas Margarita,” Roger told him, chiming their glasses together. “Cheers!”

*

They had to queue to get onto the bus and John was glad they’d had some drinks first. The light show opened at six p.m. but they had opted to wait until later to visit in the hope that all the families with small children would have visited earlier. No such luck, John thought now, looking at the two tired-looking parents with two hyperactive toddlers and a baby in a buggy who were in front of them in the queue.

It was cold but he was wrapped up in the incredibly long scarf Roger had knitted for him. He smiled at Roger who seemed almost as excited as the toddlers. He glanced at Brian who had his arm around Freddie and Crystal who had both arms around Phoebe and was resting his chin on Phoebe’s shoulder.

A bus drew up and disgorged a seemingly endless stream of smiling happy people who had returned from the light show. Everyone looked as if they had enjoyed themselves which John thought was a good sign.

Finally the queue to board the bus began to move. They all had to remove their gloves to have their hands stamped with a picture of an acorn in green ink once they had shown their tickets. 

Once the bus was full and had started to move John was startled when a slightly cross woman’s voice suddenly started to speak telling them how frequently the buses ran and what time the last bus was plus giving a safety talk about what to do and what not to do when they were in the woods. John was slightly apprehensive to hear that there was apparently a lake and made a mental note to keep himself between Roger and any water at all times. 

*

The bus ride was short and they all trooped off the bus again. John glanced around and saw Roger laughing with a woman with a little boy. Roger smiled at the woman and moved over to John. “She says local artists design the light displays.”

“Do you know her?” John wondered. He was always slightly in awe of Roger’s ability to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger and was not surprised when Roger said he’d never met her before. 

A few people were waiting to board the bus to make the return trip, laughing and smiling. John made a mental note that the bus left from the same place they had arrived at and he had carefully noted the time of the last bus back. Event staff armed with torches directed them along quite a dark path. There was no sign of any lights other than the torches so far.

He glanced around to make sure their party were all present and then they set off along the path. Before long they saw a swirl of light projected on to the path. As they drew closer they realised the moving lights were forming a flower. A red rose in this case – as they proceeded they discovered a golden sunflower, a white carnation, a bluebell and a green leaf. 

They reached an area with little wooden huts. One of these was a toilet block and one housed a little shop. Even on the edge of a wood there was apparently a shopping opportunity. The third wooden structure housed a cafe selling teas, coffees, hot chocolates and slices of pizza. You could also purchase marshmallows to toast in a cheerful fire nearby. 

They halted. “Anyone interested in anything here or shall we keep moving?” Brian asked. 

“We are clearly going to pass this way on the way back to the bus so we could stop here then if anyone wants to,” John noted. He was starting to feel a little flutter of anticipation about seeing the light show. 

Everyone agreed to keep moving. Further staff with torches directed them onto a path. They could see people coming the other way emerging at a different point and John thought they must go round the trail one way in a circle. 

At the start of the trail were some illuminated trees. The colours of the lights that danced over their trunks and branches changed every few minutes. 

*

Phoebe tucked his arm into Crystal’s. “Do you still think you could get the same result with a torch on the apple tree?” he teased.

“Perhaps not quite,” Crystal conceded.

They continued down the trail arm in arm. As they turned a corner they were greeted with a blaze of colour. Multi-coloured lanterns were strung across the path. There were a lot of them, providing a canopy of light for them to walk under. Phoebe gave a little exclamation of joy.

The path was crowded here with people taking photos of the lanterns. They waited patiently until they could proceed. 

There was water to their left. The lake, Phoebe realised. He glanced across the water, which reflected the lights very prettily, and could see lights on the other side of the lake too. They must walk round it, he thought, trying to remember from previous walks in this area how large it was.

“Looking across there is like reading the end of a book,” Crystal warned him, “You’ll spoil the surprises!”

Phoebe smiled up at him. “I can’t really see what’s over there,” he noted, “And I always read the endings of books.”

“I’m actually quite shocked by that,” Crystal told him.

“Don’t you?” Phoebe asked, “You’ve always struck me as a reading the end person.”

“I’m not sure what that says about my character,” Crystal laughed, looking up as they walked under the colourful lanterns. “No, I don’t, actually.”

Phoebe laughed, “So we’ve both been thinking quite the wrong things about each other?”

“Should we be worried about that?” Crystal fretted.

“No, love,” Phoebe assured him, “Getting to know each other is something that lasts a lifetime.” He squeezed Crystal’s arm. “I really have shocked you, haven’t I?”

“You have a bit,” Crystal agreed, “I’m always a bit shocked by people who skip ahead in books.”

“No moral fibre?” Phoebe suggested. 

“It just...doesn’t it take the fun out of it?” Crystal said.

Phoebe shook his head. “If it’s well enough written then skipping to the end doesn’t usually tell you all that much and the story is all about how the characters end up in that place.” 

“I’d have thought you would have liked surprises,” Crystal mused, “I hate surprises but I don’t skip ahead in books.”

Phoebe grinned at him. “Maybe you have more of a childlike sense of wonder than I do,” he suggested, “waiting for all to be revealed thrillingly to you while I prefer to know what’s ahead of me!”

*

The lanterns were followed by an illuminated piano keyboard set onto the path for people to walk over and as they did so the ‘keys’ changed colour and the keyboard played a tune. Tune was probably a slightly optimistic word for it, Freddie reflected. It was a bit of a cacophony of noise. He had preferred the lanterns. It was inventive, though.

Brian’s arm was loosely slung around his shoulders and Freddie felt a little warm glow although he supposed that might have been from the cocktails earlier. They had fallen into their relationship slowly, he thought. First a kiss neither of them had mentioned then a few weeks later they had snuggled together on the sofa. That had led to further kisses and eventually, a few weeks after that, they had moved from the sofa to the bedroom. They had never actually talked about this gradual shift from friendship to something more intimate. Freddie wasn’t sure if they needed to or not but it seemed to be working without being defined or examined so he thought on the whole it was probably fine.

“Oh, how pretty,” he breathed as they moved away from the shrillness of the piano to a little display of lights in the shape of balloons of all different colours in various stages of ‘floating’ up from the ground, strings drifting behind the ones further up. Some were ‘caught’ in the bare branches of illuminated trees. 

“Very effective,” Brian approved. 

*

“Oh look! Isn’t it beautiful?” Roger exclaimed as they saw the bridge clearly for the first time. It was a wooden bridge stretching across the lake and a framework had been built over it to allow strings of twinkling multi-coloured fairy-lights to form a canopy over it. “It’s gorgeous!” Roger breathed. 

Event staff directed them across the bridge. Progress was slow as people took photographs and stopped to admire the lights dancing across them. The reflections in the water were lovely, Roger thought. He felt John wind his arms around Roger’s waist and leaned back against him. “I’m so glad we came,” he murmured. 

“So am I,” John agreed, “I’m really enjoying this.”

*

Once they were over the bridge they were directed to a little viewing platform looking out over the lake where, after a few moments jets of water rose from the lake, lit in different colours and seeming to dance in time with the music that had started to play from speakers around the platform.

John kept a tight hold of Roger. The platform had a railing between the people on it and the lake and they were nowhere near the front but he wasn’t risking it even so. Besides, keeping a tight hold of Roger was no hardship.

There was another wooden hut near the viewing platform which turned out to be a bar. Groups of people were standing around braziers for warmth and drinking mulled wine and eating mince pies. They all caught each other’s eyes at the same time – a mutual decision to stop for a drink.

Phoebe and Freddie opted for hot chocolate. John and Brian had mulled wine and Roger and Crystal had hot spiced cider. Everyone curled their hands around their cardboard cups for warmth. They had commandeered one of the fire braziers. Everyone was in agreement that this had been a good idea and the light displays were very impressive.

Once they had finished their drinks they resumed the trail which led them uphill away from the lakeside. “I didn’t realise there was mountaineering involved, darling,” Freddie grumbled. 

They were rewarded for making the short climb by spotting twinkling lights in the trees which on closer inspection proved to be little illuminated fairies. Sparkling fairy doors appeared on some of the tree trunks. The lights flickered on and off – a challenge to the visitors to see if they could spot all of the fairies and fairy doors. 

Steps led down from the hillside and they moved in single file. John realised that Roger was going to reach the lakeside ahead of him and was relieved to see that Crystal immediately placed himself between Roger and the water. 

*

“I’m glad you suggested this, Waif,” Crystal told Roger. 

Roger grinned at him, “Despite the cost of the tickets?”

Crystal laughed, “Yeah, despite the frankly outrageous cost of the tickets.”

“I never imagined I’d see you so keen to spot illuminated fairies in a wood,” Roger told him. 

“He’s embraced his inner child,” Phoebe remarked, “haven’t you, love?” He hooked his arm into Crystal’s.

“I’m not sure about my inner child but this is fun,” Crystal shrugged. 

*

The last stop on the trail was at a viewing platform at the top of a bowl shaped dip in the ground. Christmas music played through speakers and a light display formed snowflakes and fairies and elves ending with Santa swooping by on his sleigh. One of the reindeers pulling it had a glowing red nose.

They were all smiling as they made their way back to the bus stop. “That was amazing!” Roger said and they all nodded their agreement. 

*

On Christmas Eve Phoebe returned from the cafe with a box of mince pies and, Crystal was happy to see, mini Yule logs they hadn’t sold. “Yum,” he said, sliding his arms around Phoebe’s waist and pressing his lips to his neck. “Ooh, you’re cold.”

“It’s freezing out there,” Phoebe said, “I think it’s cold enough for snow – we might have a white Christmas.”

“Are you coming to the bar tonight?” Crystal asked. 

“I’d rather not, love, if you don’t mind? I’ve still got your presents to wrap,” Phoebe told him apologetically. 

“Don’t bother wrapping them,” Crystal suggested, “I’ll just rip the paper off anyway.”

“Just handing them to you wouldn’t be the same,” Phoebe said, sounding shocked. “I like watching your face when you open them.”

Crystal grinned. “Okay, you can stay here and keep cosy. Be ready to warm me up when I get home.”

“Always,” Phoebe agreed. He twisted around in Crystal’s arms so he could kiss him. “Be careful – I think it’ll be icy out there.”

*

“Aw...please?” Roger pleaded, looking at John with wide eyes. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor by the Christmas tree shaking the parcels with his name on them, running his hands over them trying to guess what they were.

“You’re like a child, Roger,” John scolded him, spoiling the effect by smiling. “Leave the presents alone!”

“Please may I open one – just one little one, please? Y ’know, the Royal Family open their Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve.” Roger said. 

John rolled his eyes. “Yes, well, we open our gifts on Christmas Day, don’t we?” He sighed. “I’m going to have no peace until I let you open a present, am I?”

Roger grinned at him. “You can choose which one,” he offered. 

“Thanks so much!” John laughed. He selected a little box and handed it to Roger. “This one,” he said. 

Roger untied the ribbon and lifted the lid of the box rummaging eagerly through the red tissue paper within. “A duck!” he exclaimed in delight, holding up a toy duck wearing a Santa hat. “Oh, I love him!”

“I think the puddle will be frozen tomorrow,” John said, “so you might have to wait a bit before he can make his debut to cheer people up on rainy days.”

“Thank you,” Roger said, scrambling to his feet and kissing John. “I love my seasonal duck!”

“I’m glad,” John told him, “Now, you’d better get a move on or you’ll be late for work!”

“Are you coming to the bar?” Roger asked. 

“Yeah, I’ll be there with Brian and Freddie,” John told him. 

*

The bar had been packed all night. Roger had barely managed to speak to John all evening. He had been kept very busy making Christmas cocktails. 

Crystal rang the bell and called time and people began to spill out onto the street. They heard people exclaiming that there was snow. “Oh, how lovely, a white Christmas,” Roger said.

“It’s only actually a white Christmas if it snows on Christmas Day,” Brian informed him, “And I think it might have to snow on London.”

Roger shrugged. “That might be the official line but it still counts as a white Christmas for me!”

*

As they walked home every time Roger saw an untouched patch of snow he headed gleefully to it so he could make footprints. “I love nice clean snow!” he told John happily.

“It’s like having a toddler,” John informed him fondly.

“Nah,” Roger grinned at him, “They’re too little to properly appreciate snow!”

*

Phoebe had made Crystal a hot toddy and they sat sipping their drinks, curled up together on the sofa. Crystal felt the heat of the glass and of the whisky warm him. Phoebe pressed his lips to Crystal’s cheeks. “For once I don’t have to be up early in the morning,” he reminded Crystal. 

“There’s a lovely thought,” Crystal grinned. 

*

“We can make a snowman tomorrow,” Roger murmured drowsily.

“I’m not certain there was enough snow for that,” John cautioned, “and it might have gone by tomorrow – it was just a light dusting of snow, really.”

“Ah well,” Roger shrugged, nestling against John.

John glanced at his phone before placing in on the bedside table. “It’s after midnight,” he told Roger, “Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas,” Roger mumbled sleepily. Then he perked up a little. “Ooh, if it’s Christmas now can I open another present?”

John wrapped both arms around Roger and held him close. “No, you can’t!” he laughed. “I love you, Rog.”

“I love you, too,” Roger said, kissing him. “Not even one tiny present?”

“No present opening until much later, after we’ve slept,” John insisted.

“You’re very strict but I love you anyway,” Roger laughed. “If the snow has melted then we can float Santa duck in the puddle,” he added, “which would be better than a snowman, actually.”

John felt surprisingly touched by that. He kissed Roger tenderly. “You’re the best present,” he mumbled.


End file.
